Showing papers by "Alessandro Liberati published in 1985"
TL;DR: Patients’ assessment of quality of care was investigated in 825 women with breast cancer treated in a group of specialized and non-specialized institutions in Italy, and patients’ assessments showed in most cases moderate or high satisfaction.
Abstract: Patients' assessment of quality of care was investigated in 825 women with breast cancer treated in a group of specialized and non-specialized institutions in Italy. A 10-page mail questionnaire explored patients' adjustment to the disease, satisfaction with care, and quality of the information on diagnosis and treatment. Most of the 428 (52%) responders reported good or acceptable adjustment to the disease (as reflected by acceptable performance in some daily living activities), and favorable judgment about care providers, but many women complained of hospital organizational deficiencies. A contradictory picture emerged regarding the quality of information. Completeness and thoroughness appeared seriously deficient when examined objectively using a series of explicit predefined criteria, but patients' assessments showed in most cases moderate or high satisfaction. The paper presents these results and discusses pros and cons in the use of patients' opinions for evaluation of quality of care.
16 citations
TL;DR: Overall results of the Italian series compared well with statistics of survival published by international centres for cancer, suggesting that when the yield of available treatments is limited both the process and outcome of care should be evaluated to obtain a reliable picture of quality of care.
Abstract: The process and outcome of care for a group of patients with ovarian cancer treated over two years in two groups of Italian general hospitals were investigated. The quality of diagnostic and therapeutic measures did not substantially differ in specialised and non-specialised centres when selected indicators of quality of care were examined. Similarly, no differences in survival emerged for the two groups of hospitals. Overall results of the Italian series compared well with statistics of survival published by international centres for cancer, suggesting that when the yield of available treatments is limited both the process and outcome of care should be evaluated to obtain a reliable picture of quality of care. In the light of these results there are useful implications for planning future clinical trials and ways of caring.
10 citations